Folding tow bars for vessels and damping fin for hawser



March 15, J, M A 2,704,044

FOLDING TOW BARS FOR VESSELS AND DAMPING FIN FOR HAWSER Filed 001;. 5, 1951 INVENTOR. JA MES J MURRAY BY/Q 4/540 0M Arrrs United States Patent FOLDING TOW BARS FOR VESSELS AND DAMPING FIN FOR HAWSER James J. Murray, Solomons, Md.

Application October 3, 1951, Serial No. 249,606

8 Claims. (Cl. 114235) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), sec. 266) The present invention relates to an apparatus for towing water-borne vehicles.

More specifically, the instant invention relates to a coupling apparatus for use between tug boats and the like and the vehicle to be moved or towed.

It is common in the prior art for tug boats and the like to maneuver large vessels in narrow channels by force applied between the sides of the tug boat and the side of the vessel to be towed. This method has many inherent disadvantages which the instant invention corrects.

This prior method results in a waste of power since the force between the towed and towing vessel is not always applied in horizontal direction along the line of desired movement so as to make the most effective use of the force applied by the towing vessel.

One object of the instant invention is in providing a new and improved apparatus for moving one or more water-borne vehicles by one or more other water-borne vehicles having a source of power.

Another object of the instant invention is in providing an improved means for towing water-borne vehicles which is simple, economical, and efiicient.

Still another object of the instant invention is in providing an improved apparatus for coupling one waterborne vehicle having a source of motive power and a water-borne vehicle which is to be moved by said firstmentioned vehicle.

One feature of the instant invention is in providing both the tug boat or towing vehicle and the towed vessel each with a swivelled metal bar which is swung from an extension of the ships keel from bow or stern end of the respective vessels. When in use, the metal bars on the respective towed and towing vehicles are swung into a horizontal position and joined by a suitable tow line thereby connecting the two vessels together.

Another feature of the instant invention is in providing a damping fin for the tow line where a long line connecting the vessels is to be used.

The desirability of the towing means comprising the instant invention rests in the manner in which the tug communicates force to the towed vessel. Thus, the tug using the instant invention is able to exert all of its pulling eifort horizontally or in the direction in which the towed vessel is to be moved. No effort in raising the bow of the tug or in upsetting the tugs trim or displacement is expended. Force is applied to the end of the keel of the towed vessel rather than the customary manner of applying the force to the forecastle portion of the ship. This prior arrangement of securing the tow line at the forecastle section of the towed vessel results in a disturbance in a towed vessel trim due to a pulling downward of the bow and the resultant increased drag of the vessel because the tow line is not parallel to the direction in which the towed vessel is moved; thus, the instant invention exerts force in the direction of the tow and not in the direction of increased drag. The fully submerged tow line in the novel arrangement making up the instant invention is damped by the water enveloping it so that the slack, due to an increased forward pull on the towed vessel relative to that of the tug, can be taken up gradually because of a high viscosity of the water against the tightening tow line. This damping can materially be enhanced by attaching four fins at right angles to each other midway along the tow line.

Other objects and features of the instant invention will become more apparent upon making reference to the specifications to follow and the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a picture showing the towing apparatus in both the towing and towed water-borne vessels when the towing apparatus is not in use; and

Figure 2 is a picture of the towing apparatus forming the instant invention when the towing apparatus is in operating position; and

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the damping fins forming another feature of the instant invention.

Referring now to Figure 1, the stern portion of a towing vessel 3 is shown outfitted with a part of the towing apparatus forming the instant invention. The towing apparatus therein shown comprises a horizontal bar 8 made of metal or other suitable material which is fixedly connected to the rear bottom portion 10 of the towing vessel below the water line. The horizontal bar 8 may be fixed to the towing vehicle 3 by any suitable means which is well known in the art (for example, welding or riveting bar 8 to the outer portion of the vessel 3). The rudder 9 of the towing ship 3 may be pivotedly connected between the horizontal bar 8 and the upper portion of ship 3 in the manner shown. Pivotedly connected to the end of horizontal bar 8 about a conventional pivot joint 7 is a second metal bar 1 which, when not in use, is swung vertically out of the water and fixedly held in place by any suitable means, such as chain 6. Connected to the end of bar 1 is a tow line or hawser 13 which, when in use, is connected to a tow bar 2 similar to tow bar 1 located on the vessel to be towed. (Hawser 13 is preferably made of a plurality of metal strands or chains in a manner well known in the art.) Tow bar 2 on the towed vessel 4 is thus shown swivelled about a conventional pivot joint 14 on a horizontally extending member 15 connected to the bottom portion of the bow or front end of the towed vessel 4 below the water line thereof. Similarly, a chain 11 extends from the end of the tow bar 2 to a point on the towed vessel 4 (not shown) and holds tow bar 2 in a vertical position when the apparatus is not in use.

Referring now also to Figure 2 which shows the apparatus of the instant invention in use, the respective tow bars 1 and 2 are pivoted about the respective pivot joints 7 and 14 into a horizontal position as shown, tow line or hawser 13 having been connected to tow bar 2 therein by any well-known suitable means before said tow bars were swivelled into operating position. Respective chains 6 and 11 maintain both tow bars 1 and 2 in a substantially horizontal position. It is preferable that the tow bars be approximately at the same depth so that the force between the vessels is substantially horizontal.

When the tow line or hawser 13 is long in extent, a damping device 20 is connected to the center portion of the tow line 13 as shown in Figure 2 to prevent rapid swing of the tow line in the center portion thereof. As shown in Figure 3, the damping means 20 comprises a tubular hollow body portion 23 with four fins 21 extending outwardly therefrom. The four fins are displaced about degrees from each other about the tubular hollow body portion 23 and are similar in shape and weight to form a symmetrical structure. Support rods 22 extend between the fins 21 to aid in the support of fins 21. Fins 21 may be connected to the tubular portion 23 in any suitable manner such as by welding, etc. The tow line 13 extends through the hollow portion of body portion 23. Body portion 23 is free to slide along tow line 13 to seek the lowest portion of the catenary formed by the tow line in the water.

For best maneuverability, tow line 13 should be made as short as possible. The instant invention thus provides a convenient means of efiiciently coupling two waterborne vehicles together wherein all available power of the tug boat or towing vehicle is used to move the towed vessel.

If desired, the instant invention may be used where the vessel 4 is to be pushed rather than towed by vessel 3; in such case, the so-called tow bars 1 and 2 are directly joined together by any suitable means, such as bolts, etc., to provide a rigid connection between the vessels. In this case, of course, the apparatus on the vessel 3 used for imparting motion to vessel 4 is located on the front or bow portion of the vessel 3. Furthermore, the apparatus located on the vessel to be moved is located at the stem or rear portion of vessel 4. This modification is not the preferred embodiment of the instant invention, however.

Many other modifications may be made of the specific embodiments of the instant invention above disclosed without deviating from the broader aspects thereof.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

I claim:

1. In a towing apparatus for water-borne towing and towed vessels, a first horizontally extending support means adapted to be fixedly connected to one end of a waterborne towing or towed vehicle at a point beneath the water line thereof, a bar hinged at one end to said first support means for movement from a horizontal to a ver tical position and having means for an underwater towing connection at the other end, and means extending from the vehicle for holding said bar in a vertical position when same is not in use.

2. Towing apparatus for water-borne towing and towed vessels comprising a first tow bar means adapted to extend horizontally from the end of the hull of a towing vehicle below the water line thereof, a second tow bar means extending horizontally from the end of a hull of a vehicle to be towed below the water line thereof, and means connecting said first and second tow bars together below the water line.

3. Towing apparatus for water-borne towing and towed vessels comprising a first tow bar means adapted to extend horizontally from the rear end of the hull of the towing vessel below the water line thereof, a second tow bar means adapted to extend horizontally from the front end of a hull of the vessel to be towed below the water line thereof, and means connecting said first and second tow bars together below the water line.

4. Towing apparatus for water-borne towing and towed vessels comprising a first tow bar means connected to extend horizontally from the rear end of the hull of the towing vessel below the water line thereof, a second tow bar means connected to extend horizontally from the front end of a hull of the vessel to be towed below the water line thereof, and hawser means connecting said first and second tow bars together below the water line.

5; Towing apparatus for water-borne towing and towed vessels comprising a first tow bar means connected to extend horizontally from the rear end of the hull of the towing vessel below the water line thereof, a second tow bar means extending horizontally from the front end of a hull of the vessel to be towed below the water line thereof, hawser means connecting said first and second tow bar together below the water line, and damping means comprising radial fins mounted on said hawser and free at the outer ends for preventing undue lateral and turning motion thereof.

6. The combination of claim 5 characterized further by said damping fins including a hollow tubular body portion slidably mounted along said hawser whereby said damping fin will be caused to slide along said hawser to the lower portion of the catenary formed thereby, and a plurality of fins extending radially and longitudinally outwardly from said tubular body portion and free at the outer ends for damping the lateral and turning motion of said hawser means in the water.

7. The combination of claim 2 characterized further by said first and second tow bar means each including a first member fixedly attached to the hull of said respective vessels below the water line and a second member hinged to said first member and normally swingable from a horizontal to a vertical position.

8. The combination of claim 2 characterized further by said horizontal bars located in substantially the same plane below the water line whereby the force communicated therebetween is in a substantially horizontal directlon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 5,224 Montgomery Aug. 7, 1847 323,639 Cowden Aug. 4, 1885 1,187,179 Robeson June 13, 1916 1,238,977 Anker Sept. 4, 1917 1,252,518, Walton Jan. 8, 1918 1,259,860 Haussler Mar. 19, 1918 1,344,074 Williams June 22, 1920 1,358,358 Burney Nov. 9, 1920 1,418,783 Fokker June 6, 1922 1,714,917 Martin May 28, 1929 2,318,150 Foss May 4, 1943 2,325,616 Landweber Aug. 3, 1943 

